Machine for measuring textile fabric and computing the price thereof.



I. C. GEBHARI.

MACHlNE FOR MEAC/RING IEXTILE FABRIC AND COMPUTING THE PRICE THECECF.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2l. 19H,

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I 2/ f MWM J, C. GEBHART. MACHTNE FOR MEASURING TEXTLLE FABRTC AND COMPUTING THE PHTCE THEREOF.

APPLICTTON FILED FEB.21.1917.

Patented Tan. l, 1918.

` I. C. GEBHART. AIVI/ICHINE FOR MEASURING TEXTILE FABRIC AND COMPUTING THE PRICE THEREOF.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2l. I9I7.

Patented Jan. 1,1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

I. C. GEBHART.

MACHINE fOR MEASURINGTEXTILE FABRIC AND COMPUTING THE PRICE THEREOI. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 2l. 1917v 1,252,252. Patented. Jan. 1, 1918.

TED @ATS ET JOI-IN C. GEBHART, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, T0 ECONOMETER COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION OF IVIISSDURI.'

MACHmE FOR MEASURING TEXTILE FABRIC AND COMPUTING THE PRICE THEREF.

specification of Letters atent.

Patented Jan. il, tgig.

Application led February 21, 1917. Serial No. 150,113.

To all whom i may concern Bc it known that I, Jeuxr C. GEBHART, a citizen oi the United States, residing at St. Louis, in the State ot' Missouri, have invented new and usel'ul In'iprovements in Machines for Measuring TextileI "abric and Computing the lrice Ther-cot, of which the following is a specification.

'.l`his invention relates to an improved machine l'or measuring textile l'abric and compitting the price. thereof. The invention proposesv a machine ol the type wherein the measuring and price computing operations are due to the movement ol' the cloth between rollers.

IThe principal object of the invention is to provide a machine oi the-character described having means for correcting or compensating for error as regards thc length of material passed through the measuring rollers, thereby to insure that the n'ieasured material shall have no variation from the exact length requested.

A further object is to provide for the automatic operation oi" the error-compensating means in connection with the normal operations of the machine.

A further object is to provide a machine of the character stated, in which, apart from the correction of or compensalifm for error, the liability of error in measurement shall, in any event, be reduced to a minimum in consequence ot' certain checks against naccuracy.

A further object is to pre vide for the locking of the power roller and therewith of the parts operated by it during the period in which the measured material is being marked or slit along the line at which it is to be torn or cut from the rest ol the stock.

A ffm-ther object is to provit'lV ccJtain novel 'and advantageous features of construetion and organization in a machine of the specific type disclosed in my pending application Serial No. Sltlt).

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Figure l is a plan view, partly broken away and in section, of a machine in which the features of the invention are incorporated;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation wherein one of u the end heads and an end spider frame have been removed to disclose internally arranged parts;

Fig. 3 is a vertical central cross-sectional view.

Fig. t is a central, ltmgitudil'ial sectional view ina plane at right angles to the plane of Fig, 3;

Fig. 5 is a detail elevation taken from within the machine ol the knife for slitting the measured fabric along the line where said fabric is to be cut or torn;

Fig. t5 is a detail sectional view showing certain gear elements which operatively connect the power rolleI and the drum which carriesl the price value chart and length indicating scale;

Fig. 7 is a detail cross-sectional View on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a detail ele Yation and Fig. 9 is a detail sectional View otn a spider frame at one cud ot' the machine;

Fig. l0 is a detail elevation and Fig. ll is a detail sectional view of one of the clutch members for controlling the operation of the above-mentioned drum;

Fig. l2 is a detail View showing the construction of the clutch member which forms a companion o'l the one shown in Figs. l0 and ll;

Fig. 13 is a detail sectional view showing the pivotal mounting of a :trame which supports a worin carrying shaft;

Fig. 1st is a detail elevation showing a modification iu the construction of the disk and pawl co-acting therewith employed to secure accuracy in measurement.

Similar chaiacters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the scve 'al views.

The machine disclosed is, as to its prinipal parts, generally similar in structure, organization and mode oi operation to the machine' disclosed in my said pointing application Serial No. 84,899. Thus, the fabric to be measured is drawn between upper and lower rollers l and 2, the upper roller serving as a power roller for the operation of the drum 3 which carries the length indicating saile si. and the price value chart 5. the latter 'eo-acting with a chart t3 for indieating price per yard. The drum 3 is mounted on a shaft 7 which is located above.` and extends at a right angle to the shaft 8 upon which the roller l is mounted. The

roller 2 is mounted on a shaft 9 which is supported. by cone bearings in a rectangular frame 11 (Fig. 4). The frame 11 is pivotally mounted for upward and downward movement and is urged upward by a spring 12.- The shaft 8 is geared tothe shaft 7 whose operation is controlled a-suitable clutch.' Upon the completion of the operation of the machine, the said eiutch is operated to free the shaft 7 and the drum 3 is thereupon restored to its initiai position or zero-set by a coil spring 13, the zero-setting movement of said drum being limited by the engagement of a lug 14 provided at 011e end thereof with a fixed stop lug 15. The operating parts are inclosed in a suitable casing 16. When the required length of fabric has been measured, the edge or margin of the fabric is cut by a knife 17 ,the slit thus made showing the line along which the -measured fabric is to be cut or torn.

The construction as above described is' similarr to that shown in my said pending application Serial No. 84,899.

As a support for the rollers 1 and/2a Suitable frame 18 is mounted within the casing 16 and carries at its upper end cone bearings 19 forr the ends of the shaft 8. The frame 11 which carries the roller 2 is pivotally connected, as at 20, to a side wall of the f ame 18 and the spring 12 is preferably arranged to engage a lug or projection 21 at the free end of the frame 11. The said casing 16 has a Slot 22 in its side and front walls which registers with a slot 23 in the side and front walls of the frame 18 and through which the fabric is moved during the operation of the. machine. The knife 17 preferably works within the frame 18 and coacts with a stationary blade 24 secured to a side wall of said frame just below the slot 22.

When the machine is not in operation, the roller 2 may be held spaced from the roller 1 by any suitable means, for example, by the means shown in my said pending application and which comprises a pivoted latch finger 25 (Fig. 1) operated by a spring 26 to engage over a lug 27 on the frame 11 and by a finger pin or head 28 to release said lug and permit an upward movement of the frame 11 bv the spring 12.

The present machine differs from the machine shown in my said pending application in that thc'power Vfor the operation of the drum 3 is applied at one end instead of at the center thereof and in the construc- Ytion of the gearing :for operating said drum from the power roll. The relatio'n of the drum 3 and the casing 16 is such that a clearance 29 is provided at one end of said drum in which is arranged ay worm wheel 30 mounted'on the shaft 7. The worm wheel 30 forms the `last element of the gearing between the shafts 8 and 7 and the said gearing farther includes shafts 31 and 32, the shaft 31 being driven by miter gears 33 from the shaft 8 and by miter gears 34 driving the shaft 32 which carries a worm 35 in mesh with the worm wheel, 30. The shaft 31 (Fig. 6) is of sectional construction and includes telescoping slidablyrelated parts 31:l and 31", the latter fitting lugs 31c for which the section 31a is provided with slots 31d. The bore of the section 31a incloses a Spring 36 which tends to move the sections 31a and 31 relatively outward and thereby compensates for wear of the miter gears 33 and 34. The sections 31"l and 31b have their bearing in a sleeve 37 secured to a bracket-38, in turn carried within the former and having key bv the frame 18. The shaft (Fig 2) is carried by a bracket 39 whose ends are equipped with cone bearings 40 for said shaft. rl`he cone bearing 40 adjacent the miter gearing 34 (Fig. 13) has an opening through it whereby it may be fitted pivotally upon a xed post 11 about which the bracket 39 may swing. Said bracket at its free end is acted upon by a spring 42 which insures the. efficient engagement of the worm and worm wheel 30 and thus compensates for wear or defective fitting 0f these elements.

That. portion of the casing which incloses the drumv 3 isA provided with end spider frames 43 which carry cone bearings 44 and 45 for the shaft 7. It is preferred to provide end'closure plates 46 at the outer sidesof the spider frames 43. The spider frame 43 which adjons the spring 13 carries a pin 47 to which the outer end of the spring 13 is secured and also carries the stop lug 15 previously mentioned. The spider frame 43 at the opposite end of the machine carrie/s'lthe post 41 upon which the bracket 39 is pivoted, as above described.

The clutch by which the operation of the drum 3 is controlled comprises a movable member 48 and a fixed member 49 (Figs. 4, 10, 11 and 12) the latter being carried by or formed with the worm wheel 30. The member 48 is slidably mounted onv a hub 50 of the drum 3 and is provided with inwardly directed guidel and coupling` arms 51 which have a close sliding fit'in open-l ings formed in the spokes which connect the hub 50 and the drum. The member 48 is moved toward the member 49 by a spring 53 which surroundsl the hub 50 and bears against the member 48 and the spokes .52 'l'hc hub 50 vand the shaft 7 are formed with registering longitudinal slots 54 and the clutch member 48 carries a, transverse pin 55 which' projects vthrough said slots. For the purpose of disengaging the clutch elements 48 and 49, a stem 5G (Fig. 4) is provii'led. said stem having'a sliding fit in the bores of the shaft 7 and of the cone Lenaerts bearing 15 and engaging the pin 55 with its free end. The stem 56 projects beyond the casing of the machine and carries an operating` head 57 by which it may be conveniently moved inward against the pressure of the spring 53. In order to limit the outward movement of the stem .34), a collar 58 is mounted thereon for engagement with the adjacent end head lo of the machine casing.

The worm wheel 3() is `loose on the shaft' 7 and operates the drum 3 by virtue ot' the arrangement of the arms 51 in the openings ot' the spokes and of the arrangement of the pin 5.5 in the slots 5t. When the clutch member -lt is disengaged from the clutch member lb by the inward movement of the pin 56, the' spring 123, which has been tensioned during the rotation of the drum, acts on the shaft 7 to restore the drum to its initial position, the pin 55 transmitting the rotation of said shaft to saidv drum.

The clutch members 48 and 4t) may be of any construction suitable for the purposes in view. It is preferred, however, that their construction be such that a positive connection between them is established; and for this purpose, the clutch member 48 is formed with a series of radial V-shaped notches 59 disposed along its circumference, an2 the clutch member 49 is formed with a single tooth 60 for engagement in any one of the notches 59. Obviously, instead ot asingle tooth GO, the clutch member 49 may have several of such teeth arranged, however, to conform to the dimensions and spacing of the notches 59. Where lthe clutch members are constructed to positively interlock, as shown, one of said clutch members, in this instance the clutch member 48, will have a series of interlocking devices, in this instance the notches 59, Whose number equals vthe total number of measurement units on the length indicating scale Il. lThus, assuming a total capacity of twelve yards with provision for a minimuml measurement of one-eighth of a yard and considering oneeighth of a yard as a measurement unit, the scale 4l will be calibrated lfor ninety-Sii; of such units and one of the clutch members will have ninety-six interlocking devices. .in the en'ibodiment shown, the clutch member 4S is thusprovided with ninety-six notches 59.

According to the present invention, special provision is iliade for insuring that the length ot material passed through the machine shall be of the exact length requested by the purchaser. Where the unit of measurementis comparatively small, e. g. an eighth of ayard, such errors in measurement as may result from the carelessness of the operator are not apt, in any event, to involve a deviation {3f-substantially more than an inch either way. According to the present invention, such errors, whether involving a little less or a little more than the length of material requested are com] en.-'ated ,for pre t'erably automatically. what is now con side-red as a preferred construction of means lor this purpose is shown in the drawings and includes essenliallj,v n notched disk (il (Fig. l) mounted on the shaft e and a pawl (t2 cooperating with the disk lll. The machine shown in the drawings presupposes that the roller 1 has a circumference of a quarter of a yard and that the measuring capacity ot the machine is twelve yards whereby forty-eight revolutions of the roller l are necessary to produce a complete revolution of the drum 1Where, as irl the example previously given, Vthe measurement unit is one-eighth of a yard, the dish (3l will be provided with two diametrically-opposite notches (Sil. But the number ot these notches will obviously vary with the particular measuring unit and its fractional relation to-the circun-iferential extent of the roller 1.

When the machine is at rest, the pawl (52 engages in one of the notches o3, and when an operation of the machine, has bee'n completed, said pawl will be forced into one of said notches. it', in consequence of carelessness, the roller l has not been turned quite far enough to pass the requested length of material. or has been turned too tar and has passed slightly more than the requested length of material, one or the, other of the. notches (3iwith which the pa-wl (12 is to coiipcratewvill be slightly out of alinement with the tooth ot said pawl, but in consequence of pressure on said pawl, its tooth will engage an inclined edge olf the notch and acl ing thereon as a cam will move the disk U1 to a position wherein the notch squarely alines with the tooth of the pawl and the tooth fully enters said notch. In such movement of the dislt G1 the roller 1 participates and thereby advances or retracts the fabric being measured for a suflieient distance to cori-eet the error and insure absolute accuracy.l

lVhile the pawl (32 could be operated for its intended purpose independently of the operation of other parts ot the machine, it is preferred and manifestlyadvantageous to operate said pawl automatically in connection with the normal operation of thc machine. As a matter of convenience and preference, the. pawl (52 is operated in conjunction with the knife 17 and by the in mns for operating said knife; and, as in my pending application Serial No. 84,895), the knife-operating means is operatively related to the depressible frame for the lower roller to effect movements ot said frame in'conjunction with movements of the knife.

ln the embodiment disclosed, the knife 17 is mounted on a rock shaft (34; (Figs. l and Ll) which is journaled in the casing 16 and l retracted sutcientl 'Trame 18 and which carries on its outer end an operating lever and 0n its inner end an arm'66 (Figs. 1 and 3) which projects over and, in operation engages, an adjacent .r side bar of the frame 11. The pawl 62 is pivoted to a bracket 67 carried by the frame 18 and it is provided with a suitably located collar 68. A rod 69 is pivotally connected to the end of the arm 66' in s uch manner 19 that it is permitted lateral play and' projects through thecollar 68, the opening of which is of greater diameterl than the rod 69 iu order to prevent any binding in connectionl with the pivotall movements of the 1'5 pawl 62. The rod 69 is provided at its upper end with a head which confines the helical spring 71 'having .a bearing at its lower end against the collar' 68. That position of the pawl 62 wherein it 29 engages fully in one of the notches 6,3 of vthe disk 61 may be saidV to be the normal position of said pawl. lIn the normal operation of the machine, i. e. during the movement of the fabric between the rollers 1 and 2, the cutting edge of the knife17 is disosedv wholl -above the slot 23, 'as shown m Fig. 4. 4en the pawl is moved outward, from its normal position to a position wherein its pointl will rest on the periphery 30 Jof the disk ljxgas shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4,l it w' through the spring 71, raise 'i the rod 69 a corresponding extent. Such movement of the rod 69 moves the knife 17 farther above the .slot 23, whereby said knife will have a short idle movement before it cuts the fabric held between the,

rollers 1 and 2. In the. operation of the knife 17 by the lever 65, and during the idle movement of said knife, the head 70 40 tends to compress the spring 71 in case there be any resisting bearing for the lower end of said spring. Now, if either of the notches 63 be not squarely alined with the tooth of the pawl 62, the contact of suoli tooth'V v 5.0 62 whereb said pawl, acting on the inclined face of t e notch 63` as a cam, effects a movement of the disk 61 to a position wherein said notchl 63 will squarely aline with the tooth of the pawl 62 and said pawl 55 will fullyv enter said notch. The effect of such movement of the disk 61, as above explained. is to produce a corresponding movement of the roller 1 whereby the fabric held between it and the roller 2 is advanced or to correct the error. When the lever 65 1s pushed'down and the pawl 62 is fully engaged in one of the notches 463, the power roller 1 and thereeswith the drum 3 are locked against further 65 rotation; but the spring 71, as is obvious,

permits a further downward movement ,of the rod 69 incident to the continued movement 0f the lever 65 for the purpose of moving the knife 17 across the slot 21 and of depressing the frame'11 by the arm 66. 70 When the finger ressuie on the lever 65 is relieved, the spring 71 'restores the rod 69, arm 66, knife 17 and lever 65 to normal position; and in order to limit the re-setting movement of these parts, the rod 69 is pref-l. 75 erably provided with a collar 72 which engages the under side of the collar 68.

In the normal operation of the machine, y the pawl 62 rides idly upon the periphery of the disk 61 and in the continued rotation 3oof said disk passes into and from the notches 68, the pressure of its engagement insaid notches being determined by the weight of the parts suspended from it by the rod 69 and, therefore, being'comparatively light so 85 that said pawl does not interpose any serious obstacle to the rotation 'of the roller 1. However, each engagement of the pawl 62 a notch 63 will obviously manifest itself to the operator of the machine by a 'click 9o which will be evident to the ear and b a slightly added load which will be evi ent to the sense of touch. In'this way, and apart from the readings on the scale 4, the operator will be aware-of every length, corresponding to the unit of measurement, which passes between the rollers 1 and 2. The pawl 62 thus, aside from its error-correcting function, imposes an additional check on the accuracy of the measuring operation and virtually insures that any deficiency or overplus ofmeasurement shall not exceed that'which is within the capacity of positive and automatic correction. This added function of the pawl 62 is not only a check 105 against care1essness,jbut it is of positive advanta e in those cases where the operatpr, by ade ciency of eye-sight, may have diiiiculty in following the readings of the scale 4, in that the operator may determine the length of goods passed by keeping count` of the clicks of the pawl 62 as it is passed by the notches 63. y 'In other respects, the operation of the ma chine is the same as disclosed in my co-pendf 11 ing application Serial No. 84,899. I

Fig. 14 illustrates a modified construction of disk, here designatedv 61", andflof awl",v here designated 62, this modification ein the full equivalent of the disk 61 and paw 1Z0 62 previously described., The modification i" consists in forming the disk with diametrically opposite flat faces 63 in substitution for the notches 63, theseQfac'es being related as chords to the circle of the disk, and in 113,5 forming the pawl with a flat face in subs" stitution for. a tooth. The vcoperative cese, tion of the lilat faces 6311 and of the pawl 62-"' gi' is generally the same as that of the notches 63 and pawl 62 and will be obvious from the 11397,.'

Laaaaas and operable upon the completion of the measuring operation for moving the power roller to a definite position selected with regard to the unit of measurement thereby to advance or retract the measured fabric and compensate for an error in measurement.

2. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a power roller over which the fabric to be measured is passed, length in'- dicating means geared to said roller, means forrrnarking the measured fabric to indicate the line along which said fabric is to be cut or torn, means operable upon the completion of the measuringoperation for' moving the power roller to a definite position selected with regard to the unit of measurement thereby to advance or retract the measured fabric and compensate for an error in measurement and operative connections between said marking means and rollerV moving means whereby the latter is operated automatically in connection with an operation of the former.

3. ln a machine of the class described, in combination, a power roller over which the fabric to be measured is passed, length indicating means geared to said roller, a disk rotatable with said roller and having its periphery notched in accordance with the Vfractional relation of the unit of measurement to the circumference of said roller and a pawl operable by co-action with the disk to move the power roller to a definite posiltion selected with regard to the unit of measurement thereby to advance or retract the measured fabric and compensate for an error in measurement.

d. lin a machine of the class described, in combination, a power roller over which the fabric to be measured is passed, length indicating means geared to said roller, a disk mounted on the shaft of said roller for rotation therewith and having its periphery provided with il-shaped notches arranged in accordance with the fractional relation of the unit of measurement to the circumference of said roller and a pawl co-acting withl said disk.

5. ln a machine of the class described, in combination, a power roller over which the fabric to be measured is passed. length indicating means geared to said roller. a disk mounted on the shaft of said roller for rotation therewith and having its periphery provided with V-shaped notches arrangedin accordance with the fractional relation of the unit of measurement to the circumference of said roller, a pawl (fo-acting with said disk, a manually operated lever and operative connections between said lever and said pawl.

6. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a power roller over which the fabric to be measured is passed, length indicating means geared to said roller, a disk mounted on the shaft of said roller for rotation therewith and having its periphery provided with V-shaped notches arranged in accordance with the fractional relation of the unit of measurement to the circumference of said roller, a pawl co-acting with said disk, a knife for slitting the fabric along the line at which it is to be cut or torn. a lever for operating the knife, and resilient connections between said lever and pawl.

7. In a machine of the class described, in

combination, a power roller over which thev fabricto be measured is passed, length indieating means geared to said roller, a disk mounted on the shaft of said roller for rotation therewith and having its periphery provided with V-shaped notchesarrangcd in accordance with the fractional relation of the unit of measurement to the circumference of said roller, a pawl co-acting with said disk, a rock shaft., a manually operated lever for said rock shaft, an arm projecting from said rock shaft, a stem pivotally connectedv to said arm, said pawl having an aperture through which said stem projects and a spring confined `upon the upper portion of said stem and acting upon said pawl.

8. l'n a machine of the class described, in combination, a power roller, a measuring drum arranged above said roller and transversely thereto, a worm wheel for operating said drum, a worm actuating said worm wheel, a shaft carrying said worm, gearing between said shaft and the shaft of said roller, a movably mounted bracket supporting said worm carrying shaftand means acting on said bracket to hold said worm in engagement with said worm wheei.

9. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a power roller, a measuring drum arranged above said roller and transversely thereto, a shaft arrangedvbelow said drum and parallel thereto, gearing between said shaft and the shaft of said roller, a, Worm. wheel for operating said drum, a worm actuatmg said worm wheel, a shaft carrying said Worm and geared to said dest named shaft, a pivotally mounted bracket supporting said `last named shaft and a ree spring acting on,said bracket whereby t0 hold said Worm in engagement with said worm Wheel.

10. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a power roller, a measuring drum arranged above said roller and transversely thereto, a shaft geared to said drum, a second shaft arranged below said drum and parallel thereto, said second shaft comprising key coupled sections and a spring acting on said sections to move them relatively outward,'miter gearing between one of said sections and -said first named shaft and miter gearing between 'the other section and the shaft of said roller.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing' witnesses.

JOHN C. GEBHART.

Witnesses:

JAS. P. DAWSON, E. D. PrNKERToN. 

